Toilet seat apparatus

ABSTRACT

A toilet seat apparatus includes a base portion adapted to be fixed on a toilet bowl, a main body portion detachably mounted on the base portion, a toilet seat rotatably supported by the main body portion, a guide groove formed at the base portion and extending in a backward and forward direction of the toilet bowl and having an opening portion at a front side thereof, and a pin provided at the main body portion, the pin being inserted into the guide groove for allowing the main body portion to slide relative to the base portion, rise from the base portion, and to detach from the base portion.

This application is based on and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119to Japanese Patent Application 2005-093371, filed on Mar. 29, 2005, theentire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a toilet seat apparatus, and more particularlyto a toilet seat apparatus which is detachable from a toilet bowl.

BACKGROUND

Conventionally, a toilet seat apparatus practically used is providedwith a washing mechanism for spouting warm water for washing, and aheating mechanism for heating a toilet seat. Such conventional toiletseat apparatus generally includes a base portion provided at a rear sideof an upper surface of a toilet bowl, a main body portion supported bythe base portion, a toilet seat for seating, and a toilet cover foropening and closing an upper surface of the toilet bowl. The toilet seatand the toilet cover are rotatably supported at the main body portion.The toilet seat apparatus further includes a washing nozzle, a warmwater tank, a heater, and a keep-warm portion if need arises. Recently,a toilet seat apparatus with a movable main body portion has beenintroduced. The movable main body portion of this type is movable formaking a space between a toilet bowl main body and the main body portionof the toilet seat apparatus so that the cleaning can be easily made.One of the known washing toilet seat apparatuses including a liftingmechanism is disclosed in JPH9-316976A. More particularly, the disclosedtoilet seat apparatus includes the lifting mechanism for lifting themain body portion in an outside direction, a lateral direction, a reardirection, or an upper direction of the toilet bowl. By means of thelifting mechanism, the quite heavy main body portion can be movedwithout difficulty and yet in a safe manner.

With the configuration of the toilet seat apparatus disclosed inJPH9-316976A, the main body portion cannot be readily detachedconsidering any possible falling of the main body portion and forimprovement of safety. However, the main body portion may necessarily bedetached for checking inside thereof or for draining water from the tankin order to prevent freeze in a condition where the toilet seatapparatus is not used for a long period of time. Under suchcircumstances, entire washing toilet seat is detached by loosening afixing bolt and a nut, by which the base portion is fixed to the toiletbowl main body. Because detachment and reattachment of the main bodyportion may necessarily be performed within a limited space locatedbelow a lower tank at a rear side of the toilet bowl, the detachment andreattachment of the main body portion may occasionally be difficult andmay require careful attention.

A need thus exists for a toilet seat apparatus, which can detach amovable main body portion together with a toilet seat and a toilet coverfrom a base portion without difficulty in a safe manner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to an aspect of the present invention, a toilet seat apparatusincludes a base portion adapted to be fixed on a toilet bowl, a mainbody portion detachably mounted on the base portion, a toilet seatrotatably supported by the main body portion, a guide groove formed atthe base portion and extending in a backward and forward direction ofthe toilet bowl and having an opening portion at a front side thereof,and a pin provided at the main body portion, the pin being inserted intothe guide groove for allowing the main body portion to slide relative tothe base portion, rise from the base portion, and to detach from thebase portion.

According to an another aspect of the present invention, a method forassembling a toilet seat apparatus, the method includes the steps ofarranging the main body portion at a front side of the upper surface ofthe toilet bowl, pushing the main body portion rearward of the baseportion until the pin reaches the guide groove through the openingportion of the guide groove, pushing the main body portion rearward ofthe base portion so that the pin slides along the guide groove tofinally reach a closing portion of the guide groove, and fixing the mainbody portion to the base portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and additional features and characteristics of the presentinvention will become more apparent from the following detaileddescription considered with reference to the accompanying drawings,wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a washing toilet seat apparatusaccording to a first embodiment of the present invention with some partsbeing disassembled.

FIG. 2A is a view for explaining an operation of a main body portion ofa toilet seat apparatus according to a second embodiment of the presentinvention in a condition where the main body portion is slid forward.

FIG. 2B is a view for explaining the operation of the main body portionof the toilet seat apparatus according to the second embodiment of thepresent invention in a condition where the main body portion is swungand lifted.

FIG. 3A is a plane sectional view illustrating a base portion of atoilet seat apparatus according to a third embodiment of the presentinvention in a condition where an opening portion is closed.

FIG. 3B is a plane sectional view illustrating the base portion of thetoilet seat apparatus according to the third embodiment of the presentinvention in a condition where the opening portion is opened.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present invention will be explained hereinbelow withreference to the attached drawings. A first embodiment of the presentinvention is illustrated in FIG. 1. In practical use, separatelyillustrated members indicated by a dashed line in FIG. 1 are assembled.A washing toilet seat apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment ofthe invention includes a base portion 4, a main body portion 2, a toiletseat 6, and a toilet cover 7.

The base portion 4 is symmetrically formed from a substantiallyrectangular member and is provided with two elongated holes 44. Theelongated holes 44 are penetrating through the base portion 4 at bothsides of a center portion thereof. By means of the elongated holes 44, amounting position of the base portion 4 can be adjusted in a backwardand forward direction of a toilet bowl 5. The elongated holes 44 of thebase portion 4 and mounting holes of the toilet bowl 5 are fastened bymeans of fixing members such as a fixing bolt 45, a nut 46, a washer 47,and a packing 48, and the base portion 4 is thereby fixed to a rear sideof an upper surface 51 of the toilet bowl 5. Two guide grooves 43 arearranged at both sides of the base portion 4, respectively, in thebackward and forward direction of the toilet bowl 5. Each guide groove43 includes a substantially U-shaped cross section with an opening. Apart of the base portion 4 forms a first side surface and a bottomsurface of the substantially U-shaped cross section of the guide groove43, and a part of the upper surface 51 of the toilet bowl 5 forms asecond side surface of the substantially U-shaped cross section of theguide groove 43. The guide groove 43 includes a closing portion 49 at arear side thereof and includes an opening portion 3 at a front sidethereof. The opening portion 3 includes a cross section identical tothat of the guide groove 43.

The main body portion 2 is mainly formed from a substantially box shapedcasing 21. The casing 21 includes a washing mechanism 200 therein. Thetoilet seat 6 and the toilet cover 7 are rotatably supported at an uppersurface of the casing 21. Further, the casing 21 is formed with a cutoutportion 23 at a central lower portion. The cutout portion 23 includes asubstantially rectangular cross section and is penetrating through thecasing 21 in a backward and forward direction so that the casing 21 canpass through the base portion 4 when the casing 21 slides in thebackward and forward direction of the toilet bowl 5. The cutout portion23 is provided with a pair of pins 22 at inner side surfaces in a widthdirection thereof. The pins 22 protrude inwardly to face with eachother. The pins 22 are insertable into an opening of the substantiallyU-shaped cross section of the guide groove 43 of the base portion 4.Further, each pin 22 includes a substantially elliptical cross section,a major axis of which is wider than a width of the guide groove 43.

With the configuration of the washing toilet seat apparatus 1 accordingto the first embodiment of the present invention, the main body portion2 is attached to the base portion 4 in accordance with the followingorder. First, the main body portion 2 is arranged at a front side of theupper surface 51 of the toilet bowl 5 in such a manner that the cutoutportion 23 is positioned in front of the base portion 4, and the pin 22is positioned in front of the opening portion 3. Next, the main bodyportion 2 is pushed rearward of the base portion 4 until the pin 22reaches the guide groove 43 through the opening portion 3. In acondition where the main body portion 2 is further pushed rearward, thepin 22 slides along the guide groove 43 to finally reach the closingportion 49. At this position, by fixing the main body portion 2 to thebase portion 4 by means of an engaging mechanism (not shown), anattaching operation of the main body portion 2 is completed. During theattaching operation, the casing 21 and the toilet seat 6 are notnecessarily be lifted or raised because they slide on the upper surface51 of the toilet bowl 5.

The main body portion 2 is detached from the base portion 4 in reverseorder. More particularly, at first, the engaging mechanism is removedfor making the main body portion 2 movable. Next, the main body portion2 is pulled forward so that the pin 22 slides along the guide groove 43to reach the opening portion 3. In a condition where the main bodyportion 2 is further pulled forward, the pin 22 passes through theopening portion 3 and is pulled out. Thereby, the main body portion 2 ispulled out at a center of the front side of the upper surface 51 of thetoilet bowl 5. Accordingly, the attaching and detaching operations ofthe main body portion 2 can be performed without difficulty. Further,the attaching and detaching operations of the main body portion 2 can beperformed in a safe manner because the main body portion 2 is notnecessarily be lifted or raised during the operation.

A second embodiment of the present invention will be explainedhereinafter with reference to FIGS. 2A-2B. The same structure asdescribed in the aforementioned embodiment is not repeatedly explained.According to the second embodiment of the present invention, the pin 22is provided at a rear end portion of the cutout portion 23. At the timeof normal use, a main body portion 20 is fixed by means of the engagingmechanism at a rear side position indicated by a chain double-dashedline illustrated in FIG. 2A. At the time of cleaning, the engagingmechanism is removed, and then the main body portion 20 is pulledforward by sliding the pin 22 along the guide groove 43. On thisoccasion, the casing 21 and the toilet seat 6 are not necessarily belifted or raised because they slide on the upper surface 51 of thetoilet bowl 5 during the aforementioned operation. Accordingly, a rearend portion of the upper surface 51 of the toilet bowl 5 is opened andcan thereby be cleaned.

Further, as illustrated in FIG. 2B, the main body portion 20 is liftedor raised in such a manner that the main body portion 20 is swungrearward by making the pin 22 as a rotational axis. On this occasion,because the major axis of the substantially elliptical cross section ofthe pin 22 is wider than the width of the guide groove 43, the pin 22occupies a full width of the guide groove 43 during swing and is therebyheld in the guide groove 43. Accordingly, the main body portion 20 doesnot move even in a condition where it is released from a user's hand,and the main body portion 20 is thereby held at a lifted state. In acondition where the toilet seat 6 and the toilet cover 7 are furtherrotated from an upper side toward a rear side, a vicinity of a centerportion and a front portion of the upper surface 51 of the toilet bowl 5is opened and can thereby be cleaned.

According to the second embodiment of the present invention, because ofa sliding operation of the main body portion 20, a swinging and liftingoperation of the main body portion 20, and a rotating operation of thetoilet seat 6 and the toile cover 7, whole surface of the upper surface51 of the toilet bowl 5 is opened in order, and thus the toilet seatapparatus can be cleaned.

A third embodiment of the present invention will be explainedhereinafter with reference to FIGS. 3A-3B. The same structure asdescribed in the aforementioned embodiments is not repeatedly explained.According to the third embodiment of the present invention, a baseportion 40 includes opening and closing means 8. The opening and closingmeans 8 includes two movable plates 81, a spring member 9 serving as abiasing means, and a release member 85.

Each movable plate 81 is flexible and includes a first end portion 82, amiddle portion 83 and a second end portion 84. Each first end portion 82of the movable plates 81 moves into and out from the opening portion 3in such manner to across the opening portion 3, each middle portion 83of the movable plates 81 is curved, and the second end portions 84 ofthe movable plates 81 are approached mutually and are together supportedin parallel by means of the spring member 9. A first end of the springmember 9 supports the second end portions 84 of the movable plates 81,and a second end of the spring member 9 is fixed to the base portion 40.The spring member 9 normally biases the two movable plates 81 so thateach first end portion 82 protrudes to close the opening portion 3 asillustrated in FIG. 3A. The substantially column shaped release member85 contacts with the spring member 9 at a first end and can be operatedat a second end. In a condition where the second end of the releasemember 85 is pushed, as illustrated in FIG. 3B, the spring member 9 iscompressed to pull back the movable plate 81, and then the first endportion 82 of the movable plate 81 is pulled back to open the openingportion 3.

According to the third embodiment of the present invention, by means ofthe opening and closing means 8 and the spring member 9, the openingportion 3 is closed except for a condition where the release member 85is pushed. Accordingly, the attaching and detaching operations of themain body portion 2 can be restricted at the time of normal use and atthe time of cleaning.

According to the embodiments of the present invention, the toilet seat 6is a heated toilet seat, which is heated by means of a heater 100.However the present invention is not limited thereto. Alternatively, orin addition, the toilet seat may not be the heated toilet seat. Further,alternatively or in addition, the main body portion 2, 20 may notinclude the washing mechanism 200 therein. More particularly, the toiletseat apparatus may include a simple structure such that the toilet seat6 is simply rotatably supported at the main body portion 2, 20. Even insuch conditions, according to the present invention, cleaning of theupper surface 51 of the toilet bowl 5 can be performed withoutdifficulty.

With the configuration of the toilet seat apparatus according to theembodiments of the present invention, the main body portion is movablefor convenience in cleaning and can be detached if need arises. Thetoilet seat apparatus according to the present invention includes thebase portion, the main body portion, the toilet seat, and the toiletcover. Alternatively, or in addition, the toilet seat apparatus may notinclude the toilet cover. The main body portion of the toilet seatapparatus is detachably supported by the base portion.

With the configuration of the toilet seat apparatus according to theembodiments of the present invention, the base portion is provided atthe rear side of the upper surface of the toilet bowl for slidably andswingably supporting the main body portion. The base portion is fixed tothe rear side of the upper surface of the toilet bowl by means of thefixing member such as the bolt, or the like. The base portion is formedwith the guide groove arranged in the backward and forward direction ofthe toilet bowl for supporting the main body portion.

With the configuration of the toilet seat apparatus according to theembodiments of the present invention, two guide grooves are arranged atboth sides of the base portion, respectively. However, the presentinvention is not limited thereto. Alternatively, or in addition, asingle guide groove may be arranged at the upper surface of the baseportion. Further, alternatively, or in addition, more than two guidegrooves may be arranged at the base portion. The guide groove mayinclude a generally rectangular cross section. Alternatively, or inaddition, an interior of the guide groove may be configured to be widerthan an inlet portion of the guide groove for preventing the main bodyportion from being detached from the base portion. Because a length ofthe guide groove in the backward and forward direction is mostlyequivalent to a stroke of the main body portion slidable along the guidegroove, the present invention is applicable as long as the length of theguide groove is defined in view of convenience in cleaning. Further, theguide groove includes the opening portion at the front side thereof andthe guide groove is thereby opened outward.

The main body portion may include the washing mechanism therein.Further, the toilet seat may be the heated toilet seat. With theconfiguration of the toilet seat apparatus according to the embodimentsof the present invention, the main body portion, which is a major memberof the toilet seat apparatus, rotatably supports the toilet seat and thetoilet cover. The toilet seat apparatus may be provided with the washingmechanism such as a washing nozzle, a warm water tank, or the like.Further, the toilet seat may be the heated toilet seat, which includesthe heater, a keep-warm portion, or the like. The main body portionincludes the pin insertable into the guide groove of the base portion.

The present invention is applicable as long as the pin includes thesubstantially elliptical cross section, the major axis of which is widerthan the width of the guide groove. However, the present invention isnot limited thereto. Alternatively, or in addition, the pin may includethe substantially elliptical cross section, which is smaller than thewidth of the guide groove. In both cases, the main body portion can belifted or raised from the toilet bowl by swinging around the pin servingas a central axis. In a condition where the pin includes thesubstantially elliptical cross section, the pin is held in the guidegroove during swing and the main body portion is thereby held at thelifted state even when the main body portion is released from the user'shand. Therefore, cleaning can be performed without difficulty.Alternatively, or in addition, the pin may be configured to slide alongthe guide groove but not to rotate therein. Further, the main bodyportion and the pin may be configured to be relatively rotatable. Inthis case, the main body portion is slidable relative to the baseportion in the backward and forward direction by inserting the pin intothe guide groove through the opening portion. Further, the main bodyportion can be lifted or raised by making the pin as the central axis ata given sliding position. Alternatively, or in addition, the pin may beprovided at a bottom surface of the main body portion so that the pinmay not disturb the user.

The toilet seat apparatus may include the opening and closing means forallowing and restricting the attaching and detaching operations of themain body portion relative to the base portion. More particularly, thetoilet seat apparatus may include a means for allowing and restrictingthe attaching and detaching operations of the main body portion such asthe opening and closing means for opening and closing the openingportion. The opening and closing means opens the opening portion only ina condition where the pin is inserted into or detached from the guidegroove, and otherwise closes the opening portion. Accordingly, becausethe opening portion is closed in a condition where the toilet seatapparatus is used or cleaned, the main body portion can be held in areliable manner. In a condition where the toilet seat apparatus includesplural opening portions, each opening portion may include the openingand closing means, which together perform the opening and closingoperations. The opening and closing means can be realized, for example,by providing the movable plate at the base portion for closing theopening portion by sliding.

Further, the opening and closing means may include the biasing means formaintaining a restriction of the attaching and detaching operations ofthe main body portion. For example, the biasing means normally biasesthe movable plate so that the movable plate slides to close the openingportion. Further, the biasing means is released at the time of attachingor detaching operation of the main body portion. In a condition wherethe toilet seat apparatus includes plural opening and closing means,each opening and closing means may include the biasing means. Thebiasing means may include the spring member, or the like.

In order to prevent the main body portion from being moved during use,the present invention is provided with an engaging mechanism for fixingthe main body portion to the base portion or the toilet bowl at a rearside of the sliding position.

According to the embodiments of the present invention, the toilet seatapparatus is assembled and operated in accordance with the followingorder. First, the base portion is fixed to the rear side of the uppersurface of the toilet bowl by means of the fixing member. Next, the mainbody portion is arranged on the toilet bowl in such a manner that thepin is positioned in front of the opening portion located at a frontside of the base portion. Then, the biasing means is released to openthe opening portion, and the main body portion is pushed to moverearward. On this occasion, the pin is inserted into the guide groovethrough the opening portion, and the main body portion is therebysupported by the base portion. Then, the main body portion is furtherpushed rearward so that the pin slides along the guide groove to reach arear side of the guide groove. On this occasion, the toilet seatapparatus becomes available by fixing the main body portion by means ofthe engaging mechanism.

At the time of cleaning, the upper surface of the toilet bowl can beopened in order by sliding the main body portion by removing theengaging mechanism, by lifting the main body portion by swinging it atthe given sliding position, and by rotating the toilet seat and thetoilet cover. Further, because the opening portion is closed by mean ofthe biasing means, the main body portion is not detached from the baseportion at the time of cleaning.

According to the embodiments of the present invention, the main bodyportion of the toilet seat apparatus is detached from the base portionin accordance with the following order. First, the engaging mechanism isremoved, and then the main body portion is pulled forward by sliding thepin along the guide groove. Next, the biasing means is released to openthe opening portion, and the main body portion is further pulled anddetached from the base portion by pulling the pin out of the openingportion. Accordingly, the attaching and detaching operations of the mainbody portion can be performed in a safe manner without lifting orraising the main body portion during the operation in a condition wherethe base portion is fixed at the toilet bowl.

With the configuration of the toilet seat apparatus according to theembodiments of the present invention, the main body portion is providedwith the pin for inserting into the guide groove provided at the baseportion. Further, the pin is detachable from the opening portion.Therefore, the main body portion can be detached from the base portionin a safe manner by means of a simple operation such as moving the mainbody portion in the backward and forward direction. Further, in acondition where the toilet seat apparatus is provided with the openingand closing means, which allows and restricts the attaching anddetaching operations of the main body portion, and the biasing member,which maintains the restriction of the attaching and detachingoperations of the main body portion, the attaching and detachingoperations of the main body portion can be performed in safe andreliable manner because the main body portion is not detached at thetime of normal use and cleaning.

The principles, preferred embodiment and mode of operation of thepresent invention have been described in the foregoing specification.However, the invention which is intended to be protected is not to beconstrued as limited to the particular embodiment disclosed. Further,the embodiment described herein are to be regarded as illustrativerather than restrictive. Variations and changes may be made by others,and equivalents employed, without departing from the spirit of thepresent invention. Accordingly, it is expressly intended that all suchvariations, changes and equivalents which fall within the spirit andscope of the present invention as defined in the claims, be embracedthereby.

1. A toilet seat apparatus comprising: a base portion adapted to befixed on a toilet bowl; a main body portion detachably mounted on thebase portion; a toilet seat rotatably supported by the main bodyportion; a guide groove formed at the base portion and extending in abackward and forward direction of the toilet bowl and having an openingportion at a front side thereof; and a pin provided at the main bodyportion, the pin being inserted into the guide groove for allowing themain body portion to slide relative to the base portion, rise from thebase portion, and to detach from the base portion.
 2. The toilet seatapparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pin is slidably androtatably supported in the guide groove, and the main body portion isslidable along the guide groove with the pin and is rotatable with thepin relative to the base portion, and wherein the main body portion isdetachable with the pin from the opening portion of the guide groove. 3.The toilet seat apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pin isinserted into the guide groove from the opening portion upon assemblingthe main body portion relative to the base portion.
 4. The toilet seatapparatus according to claim 1, wherein the toilet seat apparatusfurther comprises opening and closing means for allowing attaching anddetaching operations of the main body portion relative to the baseportion by opening the opening portion of the guide groove, and forrestricting the attaching and detaching operations of the main bodyportion relative to the base portion by closing the opening portion ofthe guide groove.
 5. The toilet seat apparatus according to claim 3,wherein the opening and closing means includes a movable plate and abiasing means for biasing the movable plate to close the opening portionof the guide groove for restricting the attaching and detachingoperations of the main body portion.
 6. The toilet seat apparatusaccording to claim 1, wherein the main body portion includes a washingmechanism therein.
 7. The toilet seat apparatus according to claim 1,wherein the toilet seat includes a heated toilet seat.
 8. The toiletseat apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pin includes asubstantially elliptical cross section, a major axis of which is widerthan a width of the guide groove.
 9. The toilet seat apparatus accordingto claim 1, wherein the toilet seat apparatus further comprises a toiletcover rotatably supported by the main body portion.
 10. A method forassembling a toilet seat apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:arranging a main body portion at a front side of an upper surface of atoilet bowl; pushing the main body portion rearward of a base portionuntil a pin reaches a guide groove through an opening portion of theguide groove; pushing the main body portion rearward of the base portionso that the pin slides along the guide groove to finally reach a closingportion of the guide groove; and fixing the main body portion to thebase portion.
 11. The method for assembling the toilet seat apparatusaccording to claim 9, the method further comprises the steps of fixingthe base portion to the toilet bowl and rotatably assembling the toiletseat to the main body portion before arranging the main body portion atthe front side of the upper surface of the toilet bowl.